My favourite ways to use coconut oil

I’ve been buying coconut oil for years and I think it’s a total miracle product. There are so many different ways you can use it, and one tub can last for months and months. I think it’s a fantastic beauty investment, so I wanted to highlight some of the ways you can use it to treat your body. Without further ado,  here are the things I use coconut oil for: 

1. Lip balm. I’ve found that a lot of commercial lip balms hydrate my skin quite quickly after applying them, but then tend to dry them out again. While my biggest tip for hydrated lips is to make sure you’re consuming plenty of water, coconut oil is also a fantastic lip balm. It makes your lips look shinier, and although it’s said to be a good makeup remover, I’ve found that it doesn’t wear off lipstick at all if you apply it lightly. However, it does taste so delicious that it’s hard not to lick it straight off your lips!
2. Shaving cream. This is one of my favourite coconut oil uses! When I shave my legs, I put quite a thick layer of coconut oil on first. I let it sit for a few minutes, and then shave (I use men’s face razors as I’ve found them to be cheaper, gentler and longer lasting). I have sensitive skin so shaving my legs can sometimes cause soreness and itchiness, but that isn’t a problem when I use coconut oil. Instead, my legs feel so incredibly smooth, well treated and hydrated. I could never go back to store-bought shaving creams now.
3. Moisturiser. This is probably the main way I use coconut oil. It’s a fantastic moisturiser for both face and body. You really only need a small amount or you’ll have excess oil on your skin, but it is a real treat for the skin and leaves behind a lovely delicate scent as well. I’d suggest that you use it as an overnight mask for your skin, as that way you’ll get all the lovely hydration benefits without having to worry about your skin looking oily.
4. Teeth whitener. Not only does coconut oil taste delicious, but it also works its magic whilst it’s inside your mouth too. It’s a great natural teeth whitener, and I tend to use it if I’ve gone heavy on black coffee. It does take most of the staining out, and you don’t have to worry about the chemicals you may be getting in some of the commercial teeth whitening kits.
5. Eye makeup remover. My eyes are so sensitive that it can be such a nightmare removing eye makeup without making my eyes sore and puffy. Even supposedly gentle eye makeup removers can cause a reaction. Coconut oil, however, is very effective at removing eye makeup and doesn’t cause me any pain at all. Furthermore, coconut oil is said to reduce eye puffiness and really hydrates the often neglected areas around my eyes. Win-win!

While I’ve listed just 5 of the ways I use coconut oil, this is just the start for the benefits of coconut oil. I’ve heard that it’s a great leave-in conditioner for hair (my hair is way too oily for me to try that one yet!) and it is also fantastic for cooking with. I’d recommend buying an organic, extra-virgin, unrefined tub of coconut oil and seeing how it can help you. A large tub is only around £8 in the supermarkets, which is fantastic when you consider how much it can be used for.

Do you use coconut oil for anything I may have missed in this post? Let me know in the comments! As ever, thank you for reading!